PDP Crisis Deepens Wike’s Factional Leaders Give Makinde’s Group Conditions For Convention … As Damagum, Mohammed Say We Are Not Afraid of Anybody

In a dramatic twist in the crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party, ( PDP), a group within the party loyal to the former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike met on Monday in Abuja and give conditions to the group loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde’s faction to accept the proposed convention slated for November in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

Parts of the conditions are the retention of the 2021 convention’s zoning arrangements, insisting that the National Chairman must remain in the North-Central.

The PDP leaders, who met in Abuja on Monday night, under the auspices of Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, also called for the conduct of a fresh South-East Zonal Congress, congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States as well as Local Government congress in Ekiti State.

They also demanded that the outcome of the South-South Congress held in Calabar, Cross River State, on February 22, 2025 and recognised by the court be respected.

In the communique of the meeting, read by the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, the PDP leaders cautioned that “failure to comply with the resolutions and demands shall render any purported national convention invalid, as legitimate members of the party would be disenfranchised.”

It could be recalled that the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde few weeks ago led a Southern PDP meeting in Lagos where it ratified the zoning formula prepared by Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri.

The Wike’s faction immediately disowned the meeting.

The zoning presentation was later accepted and ratified last week by the National Executive Council, (NEC ) meeting of the PDP in Abuja.

The NEC approved zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and retained the National Chairmanship to the North.

The fresh conditions given by the Wike’s group for the national convention to hold is a direct challenge to the Seyi Makinde group and a sign that the crisis rocking the PDP is yet to abate.

However in its reaction, the faction loyal to Makinde said they are not cowards and not afraid of anybody.

They have vowed to navigate the party beyond what they called the shenanigans, arrogance, and impunity of its detractors.

The party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Ilya Damagum, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Senator Bala Mohammed at the inauguration of the national convention organizing committee on Tuesday held at the Wadata House national secretariat, said that they are not afraid of anybody in the task of putting PDP on a sound footing.

In an apparent reference to the threat by the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike and those loyal to him that the national convention may not hold until certain conditions are met, all those who spoke at the inauguration ceremony made it succinctly clear that there is no going back on the elective national convention.

Senator Bala Mohammed, who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, in his address, pointedly said, “We are not cowards, and we are not afraid of anybody. We are capable of navigating this party beyond the shenanigans, beyond the arrogance, and beyond the impunity of others.
“We cannot continue to take part and allow people to take us to the slaughterhouse. That’s our job. And our job is to make sure we don’t go to the slaughterhouse. And we are working as governors and working with the committee to ensure that.

With the consistent parallel positions of the Wike and Makinde ‘s group, there seems to be no headway for the party towards ending the crisis before the 2027 general election.

Political analysts and watchers of political developments believe that the uncertainty regarding the future of the PDP may be an hindrance to the party’s future success both at the national and in Oyo State where the PDP is the ruling party.

They are of the view that failure of the PDP to abide by the court decision cited by the Wike – led group may overturned whatever decisions taking at the proposed November National Convention slated for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital by the court, if Wike’s faction decided to go to the court.

The watchers of political developments believe that the present crisis, state of the PDP may work against the interest of those who are aspiring to contest for various positions in PDP such as governorship, national and State Assembly in the 2027 general election.

—Kunle Bakare